We report on the design and characterization of InP-based multiple quantum well corrugated ridge waveguide distributed feedback diode lasers operating at 1550 nm. Third-order gratings have been etched along the sidewalls of the ridge waveguide using the standard I-line stepper lithography technique with an inductively coupled reactive ion etching process. An as-cleaved 1500- \(\mu\) m-long laser diode shows stable continuous wave single-mode operation at 1550 nm with high side-mode suppression ratios (>50 dB), a temperature-dependent wavelength shift \({\mathrm {d}}\lambda/{\mathrm {dT}}\) ~0.095 nm/°C, and output powers \(\ge 7\) mW at 25°C. Linewidth determination has been carried using the delayed self-heterodyne interferometric technique. Narrow linewidths ( \(\le 250\) kHz) have been observed for a wide range of current injection, with a minimum of 184 kHz at 300 mA.